The Body Swap Illusion

Posted by Miss Cellania in Science & Tech on December 3, 2008 at 10:01 am

Out-of-body experiences and even the sense of switching bodies with another person can be induced by tricking the mind with sensory illusions!

In a study presented Tuesday, neuroscientists at Stockholm’s renowned Karolinska Institute show how they got volunteers wearing virtual reality goggles to experience the illusion of swapping bodies with a mannequin and a real person.

“We were interested in a classical question that philosophers and psychologists have discussed for centuries: why we feel that the self is in our bodies,” project leader Henrik Ehrsson said. “To study this scientifically we’ve used tricks, perceptual illusions.”

70-80% of the test subjects experienced the illusion “very strongly”. How weird that feeling must be! Link -Thanks, Geekazoid!

(image credit: AP/Niklas Larsson)

 
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